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Pulled in Two
This is a story for the 100 Themes challenge. Introduction When you have a sister in the Dark Forest and a sister in StarClan, especially if they look almost exactly like each other, it's hard to tell what's right and what's wrong. After the Great Battle, StarClan cats came to anyone in dreams. The Dark Forest was defeated, or so it seemed. But somehow, a Dark Forest cat of an unknown name visited my sister, Goldenwhisker. My other sister, Sunfire, was killed in her strange lust for power. Eventually, she tried to kill Jaggedstar himself, but she thought he was on his last life and was exiled. Apparently, she died sometime while away from the Clans, alone and unwanted. It shouldn't come as much of a surprise, then, when she went to the Dark Forest instead of StarClan. It was hard for me to live without one sister. But two? That was a trouble for any young warrior. Sunfire would never get to live out her ambition of being a deputy. Never again would I go on patrols with just the three of us messing around and trying not to scare the prey off. Never again would I talk to Sunfire about how to get a nice mate like hers and have kits that aren't too rambunctious. I even missed my fights with Goldenwhisker about the best way to do just about everything. In short, I missed everything that I can never truly have again. Complicated If you though that was complicated enough, then you're in for a bit of trouble. It happens that my sisters look exactly like each other, so I can't tell if I'm meeting one or the other. It never seemed like much of a problem—until Jaggedstar made me deputy after Foxtooth retired. Being a deputy wasn't the problem, but Jaggestar was on his last life. I would be a leader soon, and then what would happen? I have two sisters, one of StarClan and one in the Place of No Stars. It doesn't really help that they look exactly like each other. It doesn't help at all. I can't get any dreams from Sunfire, now. There's too much of a risk. How will I know which is a true message from StarClan and which is just decoy placed by the Dark a Forest to lead me astray? Then again, I'm no medicine cat or leader…yet. I'm the deputy, after all. I'm torn between desires. I wish to be leader, but it won't be the best for my Clan. Jaggedstar's word is law, so I can't just refuse. I'm sure he'll understand, but I'll just do this job honorably. Making History Yep, it was bound to happen. Jaggedstar died honorably when he drove off a badger but took the worst of its fury. He died later of his injuries. I remember seeing him the seconds before he died. Time seemed to slow to an eternity as he whispered to me, "Lead the clan well, Stormheart. Earn your place in StarClan, and promise me you'll be remembered for as long as the Clans rule the lake." My voice shook as I whispered, "I promise." Jaggedstar nodded as he took his last breath, and was gone. I shared tongues with him one last time before turning to Lilystem. "I'll tell the Clan that he's in StarClan. Prepare the traveling herbs, because I'm ready to go tomorrow." I leaped up on the Highledge. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey meet beneath the Highledge," I yowled. All of the cats raced out of the dens or payed attention from where they were in the clearing. "Jaggedstar has died from his wounds from the battle with the badger," I announced. "It is time to appoint a new deputy. I say these words before StarClan, so the spirits of our ancestors will hear and approve my choice." I took a deep breath. "Skywhisper will be the new deputy of ThunderClan." The she-cat looked both amazed and surprised as she looked up at where I stood. "I never though this would happen," she purred breathlessly. "You have proven yourself to be compassionate but firm. Not just with Bluetail, but with all of the cats of our Clan." Skywhisper nodded. "I know what to do. Go with Lilystem and get your nine lives." Rivalry Sunfire stared through the pool, the starry liquid that allowed StarClan cats to communicate and see what was happening. Jaggedstar was dead, and she was ready to go through and bring him to StarClan. "Back me up, Flametooth," she ordered, referring to Jaggedstar's brother. Carefully, she stepped through the viewing pool. She was pulled to the other world, the one where the still-living cats existed. She was about ready to take Jaggedstar's spirit to StarClan when she bumped into Goldenwhisker. "What are you doing here?!" Sunfire hissed, trying not to be heard. "The same thing you're doing," Goldenwhisker replied. "We look alike so much, who would notice if I came instead of you?" "Even in the Place of No Stars, you're scheming," Sunfire complained. "Yep, and I'm proud," Goldenwhisker bragged. "No breaks at all?" Sunfire continued. She motioned with her tail for Flametooth to talk to Jaggedstar. "What better time to spend my afterlife until I fade away from existence?" Goldwhisker retorted. "Now, I better stop getting distracted and do what I came here to do." She turned around, but Jaggedstar's spirit was already in StarClan. "Goldwhisker, you're such a mouse-brain sometimes," she whispered to herself. "I'll get you for this, Sunfire!" Unbreakable The one thing about Clans that I admire is that they're unbreakable. Sure, some seperated, some lost the warrior code, and some just were nearly wiped out, but they were strong and always came back in the end. That's what you can't say about many cats! Watching over the Clan—no, my Clan—I felt unbreakable just like they were. I have an important job to do. In a Clan, we all have important jobs, but as a leader you're the head of the creature, the alpha of the pack…I could go on for days! From the first leader, Thunderstar, to Firestar, who led the cats through the Great Battle, and Jaggedstar, who defeated Goldenwhisker, all leaders brought the Clan through times of trouble. I only just started, and I'm pretty scared. I can't root out hidden rivalries. I can't lead the Clans to a new home. I can't even make good decisions without someone to help! My bond with Sunfire was unbreakable. Now, I need to find someone trustworthy to follow me. I don't want to be killed by my own deputy, or leave the Clan in shaky paws that are scared to fight. That's why I chose Skywhisper. She has proven to be loyal. She isn't afraid to fight, but she sees more to life than just fighting. It's also an added bonus that she is calm, even-tempered, and quiet, unlike me, who could possibly conquer the Clans with my sharp tounge. There's a reason that I used to be called Stormheart, after all. I trust Skywhisper to be a good deputy for ThunderClan. Our clan will be unbreakable now, and nothing will conquer it. Obsession Sure, cats called Goldenwhisker obsessed. Some even called her possessed. None of the cats who had called her anything had laid a claw against her, so she considered it was pretty good. Of course, some of those insults held water, so to say. Goldenwhisker was obsessed with power, like so many other cats, and she was willing to make a strike for power, unlike so many other cats. They were mouse-brains. The best way to get power was to take it. Take it claws outstretched and teeth bared to bite at someone's throat. Goldenwhisker felt a bit of regret, but she pushed it away. Sunfire was weak. She didn't deserve to be in ThunderClan. With her plans, ThunderClan would be the true rulers of the lake. Nobody would dare mess with them. If only she waited for Jaggedstar to die naturally… The Dark Forest wasn't her first choice, but if StarClan didn't want her, it was their loss. Their loss and nobody else's. Eternity While waiting for something to happen, Sunfire reflected on StarClan cats. Some cats, passed down in legend from tales, lived forever, but others quietly and slowly faded. Was this the meaning of eternity—if you're not a hero, then you'll be forgotten? Sunfire secretly hoped it wasn't. She couldn't exactly be considered a hero, just one more victim of Goldwhisker's hunger for power. There was no way anyone could remember her. She worked on clearing her thoughts with a walk. The best way to think of something is to take a walk, especially in StarClan. She passed the forests, the rivers, and the other special places in StarClan that were brought from the memories of the cats who had passed on. As she passed Sunningrocks, Jaggedstar stopped her. "You look lost in thought," he commented. "I am," Sunfire confirmed. "I can't exactly be considered a hero. What if I fade away long before everyone else?" "Don't ask me. I only joined within the last few days," Jaggedstar replied. "Sorry, but I can't help." Sunfire continued walking. What would be the point of StarClan if there didn't exist long if you weren't a hero? Gateway It was time to go to the Moonpool. I followed Lilystem as she led the way. The stream reflected the stars in the sky, and the whole trip seemed much more magical. "Do you know what to do?" Lilystem asked when we arrived. "Yes," I replied, and lapped up some of the water from the starry pool. A gateway was opened, and for a moment I was pulled between worlds, a paw in the dreaming realm and a paw in the real world. I was in a starry field, and the grass was shimmering with dewdrops. There were no trees, shrubs, or brambles, but I still felt at home. Everything about the field was comforting, and it made me feel peaceful. The stars started to swirl, and a voice spoke. The voice sounded like all of the cats I have ever known. It was many sounds, but one voice. "Welcome to your leader's ceremony and your nine lives." I can't really describe what happened after that. In fact, I'm really not supposed to. All I'm going to say was that it was amazing. That's all I really can say, anyway. The rest was indescribable. Death In a Clan, it's hard to go a moon without anyone going to StarClan. Only a couple of days after Jaggedstar's death, Snakestripe has a strange disease which made him slowly waste away, unable to do anything about it. This would have been sad enough even if it wasn't for one thing: He was my father. As I entered the medicine cat's den, I saw him in his worsened condition. Snakestripe was looking pretty bad, sleepless and ragged from all of the pain. "Hello," he greeted me, his voice ragged and breathless. "Hello, Snakestripe. How are you doing?" "Normal, if normal is in so much pain," Snakestripe tried to purr but started coughing instead. "You said you had something to tell me?" I asked. "Yes. Thing is, you're the leader. If you think you've had troubles in the past, then you're in real trouble now. You're the leader. It's important for you to not be afraid to look ahead, but stay in the present, and don't let the past get you. You're the leader!" "You just said that I'm the leader three times," I pointed out. "I'm trying to make my point," Snakestripe argued. "Good luck." I turned and left the medicine cat's den, away from all of the sadness and pain. That was the last time I talked to my father. Opportunities Goldenwhisker smirked as she looked down at the living cats' world. Snakestripe was dead, and, without a doubt, Sunfire would take him to StarClan. She started to feel bad about taking advantage of her own father's death, but she shook it out of her mind. In the Dark Forest, everyone has to earn their keep. Goldenwhisker slipped down to the living world. As her paws touched living grass for the first time since Jaggedstar's death, she felt a rush of excitement. Goldenwhisker wanted to run and play like a little kit in this soft grass, but she kept her bearings and headed toward the ThunderClan camp. Starfire wasn't there yet, and Goldenwhisker allowed herself a little purr of joy. She padded up to Snakestripe and nudged him. "It's time to go," she whispered. "Who are you? Not Sunfire," Snakestripe hissed. "But…how'd you tell?" Goldenwhisker asked. "The aura gives everything away. My last advice to my daughter who will not stay with me in StarClan." "The aura?" Goldenwhisker tilted her head. Snakestripe refused to talk to her any longer, and he turned his head in either contempt or disgust. As Goldenwhisker stalked away towards the Dark Forest, she hissed to herself, "Now that's an opportunity. If we know what the aura is, then we might just be able to fake it." 33% "Nope, I don't want to be stuck with kits," I snarled. "My sister had them, and that's enough for me." "You're the last one of my kits alive. One out of three. You should be at least wishing for kits, even if the limitations of being a leader mean you can't have them." My mother, Ivyflower, was giving me a lecture on how I "needed kits" and how I "wouldn't learn anything about care". "Sure, I'm your last living daughter. Isn't Darkstrike and Brambletooth enough grandkits for you?" I retorted. "A good leader needs to be able to take care of the youngest members of the Clan," Ivyflower argued. "At least spend some time with the nursing queens." I stalked off, considering my mother's words. It might be a good idea to visit the nursery, and maybe I could know more about the kits' personalities. I haven't spent much time with Jaggedstar, but I can tell that it's much easier if the apprentice and the mentor have compatible personalities. Maybe just one trip to the nursery... Dead Wrong Nothing really happened until the next Gathering. WindClan reported rouges on their territory. It wouldn't have been so bad until Bumblestar added, "We chased them off towards ThunderClan territory." The thought of rouges attacking kept me up longer than anything else could. Longer than dogs howling, flame flickering, or even Twolegs. I spent the entire night thinking of the best places in our territory to defend. "They'll probably want the best prey in our territory," Skywhisper suggested. "We should put extra patrols by the best hunting places." We put the plan into action the next day. Our best warriors, Rainpelt, Whitetooth, Acornnose, Kestrelstrike, and Emberclaw, were all sent to patrol the densest sections of forest with the most prey. After sending out other warriors for regular patrols, I relaxed and watched over my Clan. Nothing out of the ordinary happened for a while, until I heard something that made me stiffen: "Icicle, are you sure we'll find any prey around here?" "Attack them!" Skywhisper growled. I heard the swish of ferns and the crackling of dry leaves as the rouges presumably heard us. "There are cats there! Turn around and fight. We need this prey!" The cats—one white and the other tortoiseshell—finally showed their faces. "That side has the entrance, Turtle," the white cat hissed. "Yeah. Let's show them that Icicle and Turtle take their own prey when they wish!" Turtle agreed. The wild cats leaped down the shortest side of the gorge. The first cat they encountered was Ivyflower, who fought like all of LionClan to protect the kits in the nursery. She leaped on Turtle, but Icicle forced her off with a hard shove. They circled, neither wishing to make the first move, until Icicle lashed his paw out and Ivyflower darted in to nip at his chest fur. The cats tumbled to the ground as they wrestled, neither wishing to give up. Turtle, meanwhile, ran towards the fresh-kill pile. She grabbed a rabbit and would have made off with it had I not leaped down to block her path. I lunged for the rabbit, hooking my claws in its pelt. Turtle tried to pull it away, but couldn't even pull it. She snarled and leaped at me in my nearly-defenseless state. I lashed out with my back claws, catching Turtle by surprise. She ran her claws down my stomach, but I caught her paw with my teeth. She eventually dropped the rabbit and ran off. Icicle, however, didn't want to quit. Ivyflower was already being cared for by Lilystem, and the elder Darkfur was fighting in her place. Even though Skywhisper was there to help him, Darkfur's blows eventually got weaker and weaker, and he collapsed, dead. "Can't believe I had to do all of this for a piece of prey," Icicle snarled. Even though I wouldn't say it out loud, I agreed with Icicle. All of that fighting for just prey? Running Away "Stormstar. Stormstar. Stormstar." I woke up to hear someone calling my name. "Stormstar, Skywhisper's gone. I can't find her anywhere." I opened my eyes, and Ashpaw was sitting in front of me. "Does this mean I need to train with someone else?" "You can go with me to find her. We can practice your tracking skills," I replied. "When did you notice that Skywhisper was missing?" "I woke up early to check if I was on the dawn patrol. I couldn't find her anywhere! Where is she?" "That's what we will find out," I promised. We exited the camp, and immediately searched for scents or trails. "Over here!" Ashpaw called. "I think this is some of her fur!" I raced over to Ashpaw and sniffed the fur caught in the bush. "That's hers, and it seems pretty recent. See any more?" "There's some more in those brambles! I think she was running away from the territory!" Ashpaw assumed. "Maybe the weight of Darkfur's death was too heavy on her," I guessed, "but it could always be a hunting patrol by herself." "She would send out the dawn patrols out first, wouldn't she?" Ashpaw pointed out. "Good point. Now let's follow the scent trails." I picked up Skywhisper's scent and started following it, away from the territory. I started moving faster and faster, until I started running. "C'mon, Ashpaw!" I finally slowed down to let the apprentice catch up. "See her anywhere?" "There!" Ashpaw used her tail to show me Skywhisper, in the middle of a battle with three foxes. Judgement "Skywhisper!" I yelled. "Hold on, I'll help!" I leaped on the back of one of the foxes and dug my claws in tightly. The fox rolled over, and I pushed it off of me. Ashpaw also leaped into the fray, barely missing Skywhisper as she pounced on a fox. However, the fox pinned her and she was too small to push the fox off. The fox slashed her belly, and Ashpaw retaliated with the same move. Skywhisper was going paw-to-paw with the fox, matching each of its blows with stronger strikes of her own. When the fox faltered—presumably because it was tired—Skywhisper took the opportunity to strike it with her hardest blow yet, and the fox ran off. "One down, two more to go!" Skywhisper helped Ashpaw fight off a fox while I wrestled with another. I blocked the fox's paws with my paws and bit its throat, causing it to yip in pain and run off. Ashpaw had her teeth in the last fox's tail, and Skywhisper was nimbly avoiding its blows while returning a couple of slashes. The last fox had enough of that, and it ran off. "Thanks," Skywhisper panted. "I'm a good fighter, but I can't deal with three foxes by myself. I'd be surprised if it was even possible." "Let's get back to camp," I responded, "and leave the excuses to me. You won't be judged at all." "What about you two? You know that I ran off of territory," Skywhisper questioned. "I won't tell anyone!" Ashpaw promised. "I'm just glad that you're not fox-food. I don't know of a better mentor than you." (^•,•^) We arrived back at camp just as the sun was high in the sky. Some of the cats were standing around, looking rather listless and bored. "Where are the patrols?" Acornnose demanded. I ignored her and leaped up onto Highledge. "Cats of ThunderClan, Skywhisper went out hunting, but was ambushed by three foxes. Thanks to Ashpaw, we were able to find her and drive off the foxes. They won't be bothering ThunderClan anytime soon," I started. "Skywhisper, has Ashpaw learned the ways of the warrior?" "She has," Skywhisper replied. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Ashpaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Ashblaze. StarClan honors your bravery and your determinedness and we welcome you as a full warrior of our Clan." "Ashblaze! Ashblaze!" Ashblaze looked startled but at the same time exited. She dipped her head. "Thanks! I can't wait to be on my first patrol as a warrior!" Seeking Solace "You need to stay here!" Flametooth insisted. "I'm not staying in StarClan!" Sunfire growled. "You need to! Which is more important: the safety of the Clans or your personal desires?" Flametooth argued. "You know that the Clans need me to help protect them. I'm a member of StarClan, just like you, Jaggedstar, or anyone else living here," Sunfire retorted. "Fine then. When the clans are destroyed, it's you to blame!" Flametooth yowled. He stalked off, hissing the entire time. Sunfire stared through the viewing pool. Someday, she would go to the Dark Forest and fight her evil sister, send her to a place where she can't mess up her life and afterlife. And then, Sunfire could send messages and visit the real world as often as she wanted, until she faded away from memory. She would seek solace in StarClan only when the interests of the living cats grew boring to her. And maybe, just maybe, she would get at least a bit of respect. Sunfire sighed. That was just a wild dream, and she knew it. She would never get any chance to break away to fight her sister. But she could pose as her sister to infiltrate the Dark Forest... (^•.•^) "You're mouse-brained if you think that will work!" Jaggedstar's outburst surprised Sunfire. Jaggedstar was normally laid-back, not the kind of cat that yowls every second. "It will work. I look exactly like her. There's a reason that you were brought here with Flametooth. Goldenwhisker always tries to pose as me. Why not turn the tables?" "Because," Jaggedstar lowered his voice, "it's said that once you go to the Dark Forest, it's hard to go back. For the cats living there, it's impossible. For us, it's nigh impossible." "I don't care," Sunfire growled. "I'll do it." Love "You're the deputy!" I yowled. I didn't mean to scream, but a deputy having kits was something that just shouldn't happen, like half-clan kits and medicine cats having kits. "Relax!" Skywhisper sighed. "It's official that I have kits, but the good news is that Cloudnose agreed to watch the kits for me. She'll be their unofficial mother." "Still, how could you? Everyone will wonder who their real mother is. You'll be lucky if your kits don't hate you," I pointed out.. "You know I love Emberclaw. It's said that all cats have a perfect pairing, even if they're a rouge or their perfect pairing is in another clan. True love defies all boundaries!" Skywhisper argued. "You should know that, unless you don't have a heart!" I sighed and walked away. There was nothing to be done, anyway. Nothing except arguing, and that was pointless. There were other things that would help the Clan more. Maybe visiting the nursery… (^•.•^) "The leader's here to play with us!" Sandkit cheered as I entered the nursery. "This is so awesome!" "I can't wait to tell everyone else! They'll be so jealous!" Blizzardkit added. "I won't be abe to stay for long," I explained, "but I'll like to get to know you two better. What do you want to play?" "Can you teach us how to hunt and fight?" Blizzardkit mewed. "I can teach you how to hunt, but no fighting yet." I demonstrated a hunting crouch. "This is for hunting mice. They are normally easy to catch, because they aren't fast, unlike squirrels, and they can't fly, unlike birds." "Let me try!" Blizzardkit got down into a sloppy hunting crouch. "Like this?" "Keep your back legs straighter," I commented. "The crouch should be comfortable, but you should stretch a bit." Blizzardkit readjusted his crouch. "Is that better?" "Yes. Next, pretend my tail is a mouse. You will need to stalk up on it and swat it before it moves away. Blizzardkit ran up to my tail and swatted it with his paw. "I did it!" he mewed. "Not yet." I grabbed some sticks and leaves in my teeth and scattered them around. "You'll need to not make a sound and pounce on my tail." Sandpit got down into her hunting couch and snuck up on my tail. She kept her weight evenly balanced and skirted around the leaves and twigs when she could. She eventually got to my tail, and the immediately pounced. "Nice job!" I purred. "You're a natural at this!" I have never felt prouder than when I saw Sandkit's practice hunt. Tears Faster than lightning, I raced into the nursery. "Skywhisper!" I called. "I'm here!" Skywhisper had a stick in her mouth. Lilystem was next to her. "Bite down on that stick when you feel a pain coming," she instructed. "It works." Skywhisper's teeth cleaved into the bark. "It hurts…" "Having kits is what makes cats strong. You'll never feel pain again." Lilystem started to sort assorted strong-smelling herbs. Skywhisper splintered the stick with her bite. "The pain..." she hissed. "So much…" The first kit came out. It was Skywhisper's blue-gray, but it was small. Lilystem licked it, but it was stillborn. The next kit was alive, but Lilystem couldn't get it to breathe. "Is this a punishment?" Skywhisper groaned. "Go through all of this pain for two dead kits?" "There' still two kits left," Lilystem comforted. "Two chances for a warrior to call your kit." "I won't even ask how you know that," Skywhisper joked, but she was seized by another pain. A third kit came, and it appeared to be breathing fine. "Thank StarClan…" The fourth kit came out as well, and despite being small, it was living as well. "What are you naming them?" I asked. "This one," Skywhisper pointed to the stillborn kit, "will be named Lostkit, for the life that could have been a warrior but was lost. The other dead kit will be named Bravekit, for the struggle that she put up to stay alive. The surviving tabby will be called Duskkit, for the dusk of my kits. And the one that looks like me will be called Brightkit, because her future is bright." I nodded but said nothing. StarClan, why did you take the lives of these innocent kits? My Inspiration If Goldenwhisker could choose one cat that she knew would support her in her quest for power, that cat would be Mapleshade. Sneaky, clever, and skillful at bending cats to her will, she was just about the best Dark Forest warrior. In Goldenwhisker's opinion, anyway. Most cats residing there would each call themselves the best. Goldenwhisker could almost understand why. There was Silverhawk, who turned WindClan, his clan, against RiverClan. Thistleclaw trained in the Dark Forest to be the best warrior and nearly became the leader of ThunderClan. Even Snowtuft, a cat from ancient ShadowClan, convinced his leader to attack the cats at the Gathering, which led to his demise. Compared to them, Goldenwhisker was a failure. Her chance at power and strength was gone because she couldn't tell a leader's lives. She had tried to imitate the two great leaders of the Dark Forest, Brokenstar and Tigerstar, but she had made a fatal mistake. One that had cost her her life as she knew it. Even as she paced the Dark Forest, she searched for ways to prove herself. The best way would be to bring a cat that was destined for StarClan to the Dark Forest. That way, she would do something no cat has ever done before. She just needed a bit of time to plan… Never Again Sunfire crawled through the misty wall that seperated StarClan from the Dark Forest. The air went from clear to humid, and it took all of her strength not to cough. She blindly stumbled through until she reached the Dark Forest. The trees were gnarled and withered, and there was no sign of life anywhere. Darkness seemed to be a way of life, rather than an occasional event. The few rivers and lakes were swampy, muddy, and covered in slippery red plants. Sunfire closed her eyes. She could barely stand this place. Without her sight, she could feel even more. There was no wind rustling the branches, yet it was as cold as leaf-bare. There were small scents of prey, yet she couldn't catch anything. The entire place stank like crow-food, and Sunfire was thoroughly nauseated. Her fur puffed out and she raced back toward where she came, through the humid and blinding mist. "Sunfire? Are you okay?" Jaggedstar asked. "You looked like you've seen an evil fox-dog-badger-Twoleg about to eat you alive. "I'm fine. It's horrible there," Sunfire replied, but her mind was only on one thing. I'm never going there again… Time to Plan (free chapter) Goldenwhisker paced the Dark Forest. She had sensed a disturbance, but it was probably just Mapleshade or Snowtuft returning from someone's dreams. No use getting all worked up. Maybe I could try that… Goldenwhisker thought. Enter an unsuspecting cat's dreams and plant messages of hatred in their mind, and make them think Stormstar or Skywhisper was out to get them. That would help me get some respect around here… The first canidate, obviously, was Stormstar or Skywhisper. However, a leader's mind was hard to infiltrate, and Goldenwhisker didn't think it was worth it. Skywhisper could work, but how to make her turn against Stormstar? I'm just thinking too big… After what seemed like days of pacing and thinking, Goldenwhisker came up with a plan that she thought could rival all of the best plans that any Dark Forest cat could think up. She could go into one of the kit's dreams, and make it think that Skywhisper hated it. The kit would vow revenge, and everyone knows revenge ends with dead cats. Hopefully Skywhisper… Failure It's time. Goldenwhisker thought. She dipped her paw into the water of the seeing-pool. Duskkit's face appeared in the water. "I have a secret for you!" Goldenwhisker purred as Duskkit materialized in the Dark Forest. "What is it?" Duskkit instantly perked up. "Tell me!" "It's a very important secret," Goldenwhisker added. "You must never tell anyone." "I won't tell anyone!" Duskkit promised. "Okay. The secret is…" Goldenwhisker stopped. Duskkit's form was wavering and breaking up. He was awaking. "The secret is that Skywhisper is your mother!" she yowled, but she was talking to thin air. Duskkit isn't the kind of kit I need anyway. she thought. He's too innocent and not smart enough. I need a kit that shows signs of cunning, intelligence, and trickery. Maybe this failure turned all of my future plans into successes. Rebirth "Fox attack!" Whitetooth yowled. The Clan could only be described as chaotic. The kits were trying to convince their mothers to fight the foxes, the queens were calming down their kits and waking them from when they were sleeping, the warriors were preparing for battle, and the elders were getting up on shaky legs and mumbling about how they could have defeated the fox in their prime. I leaped up to the Highledge and yowled, "All cats calm down!" The Clan was much quieter after that. Except for the occasional murmur, everyone was focused on what I would say next. "We need to take a patrol of warriors to drive the foxes out, and the rest will stay behind. All cats will support each other. Together, we will stand strong!" "I suspect the foxes are looking for a den," Whitetooth suggested. "They seemed to be rather young, and one looks like it was going to have kits not too soon, but soon enough." "Take this as an opportunity to prove it that ThunderClan can't be messed with!" Acornnose yowled, and most other cats yowled his support. "Skywhisper, choose a patrol to go fight the foxes. There are two of them, so you won't need as many," I ordered. "On it!" Skywhisper added. She selected Acornnose, Ashblaze, and Whitetooth to go with her. "We're ready!" "Not yet," I added. "I'm coming with you." "Okay…" Ashblaze meowed nervously. "If you think it's a good idea…" "I have nine lives. The rest of you have only one. Isn't it fair that I fight?" I pointed out. Acornnose led the charge. One of the foxes blocked him with a swipe of its paw, but Whitetooth grabbed its scruff. The other fox reared up in an attempt to knock him off, and Skywhisper took the chance to slice its belly. Howling in pain, the second fox landed on Skywhisper, pinning her to the ground. I took action at that point, running over to the fox and biting its tail. The other fox lunged at me, but I scurried out of the way and grabbed into the fox's neck with my teeth. Both foxes were biting me, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Skywhisper escape… I opened my eyes in StarClan. "Hello?" I asked. "Anyone here?" "You have lost one of your lives," Sunfire meowed. "That's all." I jumped. I hadn't even noticed my sister right behind me! "Can I go back now?" "Sure," Sunfire purred. "I missed you so much." "Me too," I said, and I was hurtling back to the real world… "Stormstar! Stormstar, are you okay?" I opened one eye and Skywhisper was shaking me. "You just killed a fox! We drove the other one off!" "Huh?" I got up and noticed that my teeth were still locked on the fox's neck. "Thanks." "Let me guess," Skywhisper lowered her voice. "Eight lives left?" I nodded. I didn't have any words to describe my rebirth. Breaking Away "Stormstar! Wake up!" I groggily lifted one eyelid. "We have a couple of important leadership issues that you should deal with." "Which deputy's trying to kill me again?" I mumbled. "You're still asleep," Skywhisper growled. "Tell me when you're awake." I shook my head. "Now." "Okay," Skywhisper continued. "Blizzardkit and Sandkit are itching to become apprenticed. They're starting to sneak out of camp. They're so clever. No more 'I need to go to the Dirtplace' tricks." "Okay. I'll think about their mentors. And what else?" "Minor border skirmish. Acornnose kind of started it. Mouse-brain. Well, he was a bit scratched up, but no major injuries." "If you become leader, I recommend not choosing him as deputy," I suggested. "Anything else?" "Nothing too important." Skywhisper started to walk out of my den but stopped short. "Hey, is everything alright?" "Yeah…" Really, I wasn't alright, but I'm not about to tell the Clan that. "You say one thing, but you act another," Skywhisper meowed. "What's going on?" No use hiding it now. "You know…Goldenwhisker and Sunfire…" "Look." Skywhisper's voice was serious, like a mentor instructing an unruly apprentice. "StarClan and Place of No Stars cats only have power over you when you let them. You have to break away from your thoughts, and make sure they don't take over your mind. Dream up warrior names for the kits and apprentices. Wonder what Rainstar's warrior name was. Dream up an ideal battle patrol and strategy using only five cats. Just distract yourself. Come up with taunts for WindClan cats, if you need to." "Woah." I backed away. "Okay. That was a lot to say." "Yep." Skywhisper sounded rather proud of herself, which wasn't that common for her. "C'mon! I don't know which cats I should send to repair the barrier." "I'm ready now." I followed Skywhisper out of my den, leaving all thoughts of my sisters behind. Forever and a Day "Flametooth?" Sunfire asked. "Still nope," Flametooth growled. "You aren't going into the living world, even if I have to kill you with my own claws." "You're still upset?" Sunfire sighed. "It's not even about that, you mouse-brain." "Then what? Your dangerous, foolish plan? I'd rather kill you than let you do that and get killed," Flametooth snarled. "Seriously. Try again." "What is it, then?" Flametooth lashed his flame-colored tail. "What happens when you fade from memory?" Sunfire asked. "Well, how am I supposed to know? Do I look like I've faded yet?" Flametail snapped. Out of the blue, he pricked his ears up. "Someone just joined StarClan." "Who?" Sunfire asked. "Archtail," Flametooth hissed. "He was the cat who killed me. May he rest in pieces." "Great StarClan, Flametooth!" Sunfire yowled. "He was just doing his job as a warrior! It wasn't like he actually tried to kill you with a death-bite!" "Fine then. I'm going to go greet him. See you later." Flametooth stalked off. That "greeting" will probably be a scratch to the face… Sunfire thought. Sure enough, there was a loud yowl from the direction where Flametooth had left. It was soon followed by a lower battle-cry and what sounded like insults. "Those cats will be fighting for forever and a day, until the stars vanish from the sky." Lost and Found "I can't find Duskkit and Brightkit!" It must have been quite a scene to see the deputy yowling about lost kits like a queen, but I was unfazed. "Warriors and apprentices of ThunderClan, we have two missing kits. Cloudnose, when did you last see them missing?" "I didn't notice until I woke up. Then they were gone. What have I done?" Cloudnose sounded frantic, like she was up all night worrying about them. "You just had a rough night, that's all. Or the kits put poppy seeds in your fresh-kill…" I purred, remembering the last time Sandkit and Blizzardkit had gotten away. "Again?" Cloudnose purred. "The things they do!" "Anyway, we should get Sandpaw and Blizzardpaw to help search. This will help train them, plus they know Duskkit and Brightkit's scent better than most other cats. That also means we'll have to take their mentors, myself and Skywhisper." I announced. "Cloudnose, you'll come as well. Whitetooth, you have a very important position. If something substantial happens, use your judgement and solve the problem." We set out from camp, spreading out and searching for any scent. I tasted the air, but there wasn't any trace of the kits. Sandpaw imitated my movements, and she perked up. "I think I have their trace!" she hissed. "Lead the way," I replied. Sandpaw led me for what seemed like a moon. She occasionally had to double back, and she ran in looping circles for most of the time. Only after a while did we find another cat, and it was Cloudnose, presumably on the same trail. Under Cloudnose's lead, I found that the trail was not as loopy as it seemed to be. Sure, there were some parts where I guessed the kits saw something interesting and veered off-course, but it was a bit easier on my pads. "Duskkit! Brightkit!" I heard a faint yowl to my left. I gestured to the others as I ran in the direction that I heard it. Not too far off was Skywhisper, Blizzardpaw, and the kits. "I found them!" Blizzardpaw beamed. "Thank you." Cloudnose showered both the kits and Blizzardpaw in affectionate grooming. "Hey, hey!" Blizzardpaw backed up. "I'm an apprentice now, Cloudnose!" "You'll always be my kit," Cloudnose purred. "Thank you for finding Duskkit and Brightkit."